Kaihua Temple: A Cool and Orchid-like Temple

"When you open the door, you can see several peaks, flowing water and white clouds. The transformed Sanzang, the falling flowers and the crying crows are all true. " It is the most accurate way to describe the Kaihua Temple in front of us. Kaihua Temple was originally named Qingliang Ruolan and was founded in the second year of Wuping in the Northern Qi Dynasty (571). The temple faces south and has two courtyards. It consists of the Great Compassion Pavilion, the Bell and Drum Tower, the Main Hall, the Dharma Hall, the Yanbin Residence, the Vimalakirti Purification Room, the Guanyin Pavilion, the East and West Side Halls and two wings. The Great Compassion Pavilion was built in the Ming Dynasty, the Main Hall was built in the Song Dynasty, the Guanyin Pavilion in the east corner was a relic of the Jin Dynasty, the east side hall and the east and west corner towers in the backyard were built in the Yuan Dynasty, and the rest were buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. 1⃣️Dabei Pavilion (also known as Shanmen) In front of the temple is a two-story pavilion-style mountain gate. The front is square in plan, with a doorway at the bottom and a double-eaved nine-ridged roof on top, with glazed ridge decorations and covered with tubular tiles. There is a guard wall in the middle, doorways on all four sides, and a wall outside. A drip eaves is set on the flat base, which is a relic from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. On both sides of the mountain gate are bell and drum towers. 2⃣️The Main Hall was built in the Song Dynasty. The front eaves have large lattice windows. The names of the donors and the year of construction are engraved on the eaves, which provide the exact date of the construction of the hall and clearly prove the cultural value of this building. The palace's beam structure, chessboard and other aspects are all in accordance with Song Dynasty regulations. The painted patterns on the beams and chess pieces in the hall are very exquisite, and the painted patterns in the Main Hall are very consistent with those in the Song Dynasty's "Construction Regulations". 3⃣️The rear hall Climb the steps on both sides of the Main Hall to enter the backyard, and in front of the backyard is the Dharma Hall. There are side halls on the east and west sides. The east hall is the Hall of the Three Great Bodhisattvas, and the west hall is the Hall of Ksitigarbha. 4⃣️Duodian On both sides of the rear hall are the East and West Duo Halls. To the east is the Guanyin Pavilion, where Zen Master Dayu bestowed the purple Zhuoxi. The Guanyin Pavilion was built during the Jin and Yuan Dynasties. It is divided into two floors. There is a spring flowing out from under the pavilion. The Guanyin Pavilion is three bays wide and six rafters deep, with a corridor in front and a stone railing in front of the corridor. The roof is of the hipped-eave style, covered with tubular tiles and decorated with glazed ridges, and is a relic of the Jin and Yuan dynasties. The temple houses the most well-preserved Song Dynasty painted murals in ancient Chinese architecture, which can be called the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" of murals. Kaihua Temple has a history of more than 1,400 years. Due to its age, it ranks first among the 14 temples in Gaoping City. Address: Sheli Mountain, Chenqu Town, Gaoping City Time: 9:00-11:00, 15:00-17:00 Tickets: Free Parking: 10 yuan